The movie versions of Wuthering Heights are all based on Emily Brontë’s classic Gothic novel about a dark, obsessive love between Heathcliff and Catherine Earnshaw on the wild Yorkshire moors.

What the story is about (movie-level)

At its core, the movie is about:

  • A poor, mysterious outsider (Heathcliff) taken in by the Earnshaw family at the estate called Wuthering Heights.
  • His fierce, almost feral bond with Cathy, Mr. Earnshaw’s daughter, who loves him but also craves social status and security.
  • Class, jealousy, and cruelty tearing them apart when Cathy chooses to marry the refined, wealthy Edgar Linton instead of Heathcliff.
  • Heathcliff leaving in humiliation, returning years later rich and polished, and launching a long, bitter revenge that damages two generations.
  • Love turning into obsession, revenge, and haunting, with Heathcliff unable to let go of Cathy even after her death.

Many film adaptations streamline the second half of the novel, but they keep this central tragic love and revenge arc.

The 2026 movie version (Emerald Fennell film)

A big new adaptation, titled “Wuthering Heights” (2026) , is a period romantic drama written and directed by Emerald Fennell and starring Margot Robbie as Cathy and Jacob Elordi as Heathcliff.

  • It’s marketed as a bold, sensual, and Gothic take that leans into the story’s lust, madness, and darkness, rather than a soft “romance.”
  • The trailer and early descriptions highlight their forbidden passion turning “intoxicating,” with themes of obsession, cruelty, class, and self-destruction.
  • The film is set for a February 13, 2026 theatrical release, positioned as a dark Valentine’s counter-programming.

Key themes you’ll see on screen

  • Obsessive love: Heathcliff and Cathy see themselves as made of the same “soul,” but can’t be together in any healthy way.
  • Class and status: Cathy’s choice to marry Edgar Linton for position, and Heathcliff’s rage at being treated as lower-class, drive the tragedy.
  • Revenge across generations: Heathcliff’s vengeance spills onto the next generation (Cathy’s daughter, Hareton, Linton), turning the moors into a cycle of abuse.
  • Gothic atmosphere: Storms, moors, death, and haunting — especially Cathy’s presence after death and Heathcliff’s inability to let her go.

How fans on forums usually describe it

In forum and discussion spaces, people often sum up a Wuthering Heights movie like this:

  • “Not a cute love story, but a toxic, destructive obsession.”
  • “More Gothic horror + psychological drama than straightforward romance.”
  • “It’s about people who can’t stop hurting each other, even though they’re the only ones who truly understand each other.”

Mini FAQ

Is it a romance or a tragedy?
Mostly a tragedy with romantic elements; the emotional core is love, but the outcome is misery, revenge, and spiritual haunting.

Do the movies follow the book exactly?
Many older films (like 1939) heavily compress the story and focus on the first generation (Cathy and Heathcliff), while newer ones and the 2026 film lean into darker, more explicit Gothic and sensual tones.

TL;DR:
The Wuthering Heights movie is about a wild, all‑consuming love between Cathy and Heathcliff that is twisted by class, pride, and cruelty, turning into a decades-long story of revenge, madness, and haunting on the stormy Yorkshire moors.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.